Blogger Showdown: Is a Summer Suit Really Necessary?

Is it ever just too damn hot for a summer suit? Or, as tailoring of all weights and cuts saunters down the Spring/Summer runways — and all over television, like that new show Suits — is a lightweight, linen, khaki-colored, double-breasted, completely-on-trend suit something that every man should own? We asked these questions to Derek Guy — contributor to Put This On and founder of the excellent Tumblr Die, Workwear! — knowing that he's a tailored-clothing connoisseur. Next, and as the beginning of an ongoing series of conversations, we had him challenge a blogger he's never met — he chose John Lugg, of A Guide to Bad Taste — on these (and other) matters of sartorial taste. So: Is a summer suit truly necessary? Discuss. —The Editors

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Derek Guy: A summer suit is absolutely necessary. There are too many environments where men could look great in one, but they show up in chinos and a golf shirt. A suit would be great at nice bars or restaurants, or anywhere where you should feel a "sense of occasion." Just pick something in khaki or navy and you'll look appropriate for the season. Besides, nothing makes a guy feel better than a sharp-looking suit. Are we really supposed to forgo that for three months?

John Lugg: A man does not need to own a lightweight suit to look sharp, unless his place of employment demands him to wear a suit year-round. Well-fitted polo shirts would be the most obvious answer to a lightweight suit, as would linen-blend chinos. Frankly, if you're just learning to wear to a suit or blazer for the first time, you should never learn during the summer. You'll be pulling at your collar and taking your jacket on and off, looking like a rookie. Unless you're used to wearing one, summer suits should not be trifled with.

DG: Too much is being made of how warm or uncomfortable a summer suit is. It can be very cool if it's made from linen, seersucker, or fresco wools. The key is to pick something in a lightweight fabric woven in an open weave so that your body can easily breathe in hot environments. Polo shirts and chinos have their place, but they don't inspire the same sense of confidence. I feel like a million bucks when I have a suit or blazer on. With polos and chinos, I feel like I should sell someone a flat-screen TV. I take your point, however, that many men don't feel comfortable in suits or blazers, mostly because they think it's too "dressed-up."

JL: Just because a suit is breathable doesn't mean that it's a necessity. Now that you bring it up, I think we could both agree a blazer is pretty indispensable — but not a suit. I suppose if you live in a bubble, or on an island, you don't have to own a lightweight blazer. Professional-football coaches seem to be exempt, in recent years, from owning any kind of lapelled wear.

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DG: I remember when I was young, I used to feel like suits were a bit like playing "businessman dress-up." My first suit was black and ill-fitting. It looked severe, unnatural, and contrived. Men these days have a better sense of how a well-tailored suit should fit. They know you need shoulders that hit exactly where your natural shoulder ends, a chest that fits cleanly, a collar that hugs near your neck, et cetera. There's also pop culture's fascination with the suit — and mid-century America — and I think this has made the idea popular again.

JL: Yeah, but the suit will eventually be over-exposed and "fashion" will swing the other way. I don't think that there's anything wrong with this, although many men couldn't give a crap about fashion. If a man rode his motorcycle all day and never stepped into an office, he would be cool in a leather jacket, jeans, boots, and a t-shirt. He would have been cool ten years ago, and he'd be cool now. It wouldn't be because of what he wore; it would be because of what he knew about himself and that he adorned himself properly according to that knowledge. A suit would serve no particular function.

DG: [In the same way], a summer suit is gonna be a bit of a statement — a good one. I disagree, however, that suits will ever fall out of fashion. Thinking that the suit can be at risk for over-exposure is like thinking blue jeans can be at risk for over-exposure. What fashion designers do, however, is play with the proportions of suits, and those things tend to swing like pendulums. Just last month, I saw a suit with a lapel that looked like it was half an inch wide. That kind of thing will certainly fall out of favor because it doesn't actually look good on anyone, it's just trendy.

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JL: By saying the suit will fall out of favor, I didn't mean that the suit would disappear out of collections. However, it seems that suits are the focus of many collections today, and I don't think that this was always the case. Suits will always be around, but their importance to designers will change. Your life changes. You get married, you have kids, you get a different job, or you decide you're not the person you thought you were. While the basics stay, how you fill out the blanks will change.

DG: I would emphasize that a suit is part of a man's basics in all seasons.

JL: What if you can't afford a summer suit, though? Or it's not your style? Blazers are an ideal alternative. A man needs a blazer in an office — not a suit. Though, I do agree with you that there are many places — if you're a social human being — one may have to own a suit. If you can avoid bar mitzvahs, Chamillionaire LP release parties, and funerals, you might just be able to get away without owning one. But even then, not sure a summer suit is truly necessary.

DG: Agreed. A blazer would make for a decent summer-suit alternative. You still need something that will allow your body to breathe, so go with linen, seersucker, or fresco wools. Also: Make sure that your jacket has minimal lining. This will help you stay cool under the garment. Khaki and navy are nice colors if you're just starting out, while khaki also has the advantage of being a bit cooler. If you want to make sure your blazer looks casual, get something with soft shoulders and minimal padding. You can also forgo the tie. As for what I'm wearing this summer? My go-to has been a khaki-colored, linen suit, blue button-up shirt, and dark-brown loafers.

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JL: My mother purchased one of those Hutch football uniforms. I'll be wearing mine in my basement and playing Madden all day. I haven't got much to look forward since the lockout seems inevitable. What am I going to do with all my time, write about suits and blazers?

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